APS Developing...??????

[jeriann3]

Anyone developing their own APS film. Why do I ask?, because I'd like to be able to .. I've a Nikon Pronea 6i that just takes great photos, and I always keep it handy in my car when i don't want to take a lot of other gear with me....

, and even neater is scanning the cartridges with the APS adapter for my coolscan 5000 film scanner.

The resolution and options the scanner can use can really make for nice prints.

I've recently acquired a Jobo ATL 1000 and if I could just find a reel that would hold the APS film size, it would be easy to do... I also have the little machines I found on Ebay to detach/attach the film roll to the cartridges. The film has to be re-attached correctly in the cartridge after development for the nikon aps adapter to work properly.

I'm really just curious if anyone else is doing this-- I'm thinking about trying to modifiy one of my reels to fit the aps film. My local walmart offers me very resonable develop only prices, but I'd like to have the ability to shoot and flexibility to push/pull with the Jobo, etc. I guess i just like challenges!

 

[AgX]

Take off that flange of the reel which is glued/welded to the spindle, shorten the spindle, glue on the flange again yielding the desired spacing.

By this you should be able to adapt the reel to any film width. With real small film, 9mm, one could additionally mill down the spirals a bit.

 

[srs5694]

I've got a tank that's (almost) ideal for developing odd sizes of film. It's a Russian tank, but not the design that's more commonly seen on eBay. It's easier seen than described, so here are four photos of it, in various states of disassembly:

http://www.rodsbooks.com/tank-1.jpg
http://www.rodsbooks.com/tank-2.jpg
http://www.rodsbooks.com/tank-3.jpg
http://www.rodsbooks.com/tank-4.jpg

Small spacers (white cylinders in the photos) control the distance between the spiral disks, and hence the width of the film that the reels support. The tank comes with three spacers; you use none to develop 16mm film, the smaller ones to develop 35mm film, or the bigger one to develop MF film. All you'd need to develop APS would be a custom-cut spacer, which you ought to be able to get made at a hardware store from plumbing supplies or something. (You might need a second custom spacer so that the black tightening nut would have something to press down on, too.)

FWIW, this tank actually works fairly well. I find it's actually easier to load than my AP and Paterson reels, although not by much. (I prefer my Hewes stainless steel reels.) Pour and drain times are a bit long, though -- on the order of 15-30 seconds. The tank leaks more than my stainless steel tanks, but not much more than my AP plastic tank. The spiral disks are also a bit fragile. It requires less solution volume to cover a single 35mm reel than does my AP plastic tank; I use 250ml (the same as I use for my stainless tanks, although that leaves less margin for error with the Russian tank).

Unfortunately, if you search for "(Russian,Soviet) tank" on eBay, you'll get hits for a completely different design, which doesn't look like it would be very useful for handling APS film. I don't see any of my tank's design on eBay at the moment. Maybe one of the bigger Russian/FSU camera sellers would be willing to acquire one for you if you asked, though.

 

[Paul Howell]

You can also use a film apron and tank. All APS film is C 41 so you need color chemistry. I would have the film developed at a mimi lab then you can print.

 

[jeriann3]

Great advice, and thanks to each of you... I am certainly going to give this a shot... I want to be able to develop when and how I need to when experimenting with my APS Pronea and various lenses from my other cameras, etc. Push come to shove, yes I can take and get processing only done... but I like the ideal of being able to control it all myself! I'll be scouting Ebay for those reels, and trying to modify some as ya'll have mentioned MANY THANKS

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Freestyle used to sell those tanks with film aprons. You might see if they still have them. I think they were made in Spain.

 

[jeriann3]

Great pics! thanks for sharing this info

appreciate the visuals!!!

I've got a tank that's (almost) ideal for developing odd sizes of film. It's a Russian tank, but not the design that's more commonly seen on eBay. It's easier seen than described, so here are four photos of it, in various states of disassembly:

http://www.rodsbooks.com/tank-1.jpg
http://www.rodsbooks.com/tank-2.jpg
http://www.rodsbooks.com/tank-3.jpg
http://www.rodsbooks.com/tank-4.jpg

Small spacers (white cylinders in the photos) control the distance between the spiral disks, and hence the width of the film that the reels support. The tank comes with three spacers; you use none to develop 16mm film, the smaller ones to develop 35mm film, or the bigger one to develop MF film. All you'd need to develop APS would be a custom-cut spacer, which you ought to be able to get made at a hardware store from plumbing supplies or something. (You might need a second custom spacer so that the black tightening nut would have something to press down on, too.)

FWIW, this tank actually works fairly well. I find it's actually easier to load than my AP and Paterson reels, although not by much. (I prefer my Hewes stainless steel reels.) Pour and drain times are a bit long, though -- on the order of 15-30 seconds. The tank leaks more than my stainless steel tanks, but not much more than my AP plastic tank. The spiral disks are also a bit fragile. It requires less solution volume to cover a single 35mm reel than does my AP plastic tank; I use 250ml (the same as I use for my stainless tanks, although that leaves less margin for error with the Russian tank).

Unfortunately, if you search for "(Russian,Soviet) tank" on eBay, you'll get hits for a completely different design, which doesn't look like it would be very useful for handling APS film. I don't see any of my tank's design on eBay at the moment. Maybe one of the bigger Russian/FSU camera sellers would be willing to acquire one for you if you asked, though.

 

[Nick Zentena]

Jobo 2519. Could luck finding one.

 

[srs5694]

Freestyle used to sell those tanks with film aprons. You might see if they still have them. I think they were made in Spain.

I believe you're referring to this product (or this variant if you need a tank to go with it). I've never used them before. Would they hold APS film securely enough? If so, it might be a good option, and at just $0.99 (if you've already got a tank), it's cheap enough to buy one just to try it. A single roll of film and chemistry to process it would probably cost more!

appreciate the visuals!!!

No problem. Feel free to pass the URLs around if you e-mail some eBay sellers looking for this model. I'll leave the JPEGs up for at least a couple of weeks.

 

[srs5694]

Oh, and FWIW, I'm pretty sure that I bought my Russian tank from the eBay seller alex-photo, who's one of the bigger eBay seller of Russian/FSU photographic equipment. He might be able to locate another one if you ask. Shipping would probably be prohibitive, though (I added my tank to an order of other items, mostly out of curiosity about it), so trying the apron tape first might be best.

 

[Paul Howell]

[I've never used them before. Would they hold APS film securely enough? If so, it might be a good option, and at just $0.99 (if you've already got a tank), it's cheap enough to buy one just to try it. A single roll of film and chemistry to process it would probably cost more!

A 35mm apron will work with APS, but you need speical tank, Kodak's tank used a metal plate to keep the apron from floating around. I have not used the set sold by Freestyle, but I see no reason why it would not work.

 

[jeriann3]

[I've never used them before. Would they hold APS film securely enough? If so, it might be a good option, and at just $0.99 (if you've already got a tank), it's cheap enough to buy one just to try it. A single roll of film and chemistry to process it would probably cost more!

A 35mm apron will work with APS, but you need speical tank, Kodak's tank used a metal plate to keep the apron from floating around. I have not used the set sold by Freestyle, but I see no reason why it would not work.

Thanks for that INFO... I've ordered the tank and aprons from Freestyle... I will post on how they work out! - regards, Jeri Ann

 

[Brac]

I thought the main point of the APS system was for the film to remain forever in the cartridge, even after development. So when getting reprints done, the labs expect to receive the film in the cartridge not a film strip. So if you process these yourself will you be able to return the film to the cartridge afterwards? If not then it looks as if you might have to do your own printing as well as developing. So where would you find a negative carrier than could handle APS? I admire your bravery! I like the APS format and still use it sometimes but I'll stick to my local Asda (Wall-mart) for processing & reprints!

 

[jeriann3]

I thought the main point of the APS system was for the film to remain forever in the cartridge, even after development. So when getting reprints done, the labs expect to receive the film in the cartridge not a film strip. So if you process these yourself will you be able to return the film to the cartridge afterwards? If not then it looks as if you might have to do your own printing as well as developing. So where would you find a negative carrier than could handle APS? I admire your bravery! I like the APS format and still use it sometimes but I'll stick to my local Asda (Wall-mart) for processing & reprints!

You're correct Brac, that is ONE WAY to do APS ... and i have a great opp to get mine processed at a local minilab for 1.75 per roll, processing only. But I also have a nikon coolscan 5000 ED w/ the APS adapter. This unit scans at up to 4,000 dpi and renders a much better file than the prints that come back from the minilabs... so that is where I've been experimenting and trying alternative processes, etc.

I COULD just let the minilab handle the processing, and then scan for my own print making, etc... I am basically just trying to see all the various ways i can still use APS film because I have a camera (Nikon Pronea ) that shares my 35mm and digital body lenses. I find it is just a really handy camera outfit for a basic point/shoot scenario, and don't want to park it on a bookshelf just yet.

Thanks for your views as well! I did as someone suggested a few messages back, filed down a reel and modified it well to spool aps film securely onto. I also bought a reattacher, but can not find the instructions yet for that, but it should allow me to spool the film back into the cartridges. I'm just a silly do-it-yourselfer I suppose.

On the APS adapter for the film scanner, you simply place the cartridge within a carrier, and it opens, feeds the film, etc... creates all the thumbs to choose by so you have on the c'puter screen a 'contact sheet'..., prior to creating actual scans... it's neat. I'll try and post a photo soon done with these methods... - jeri

 

[Paul Howell]

I thought the main point of the APS system was for the film to remain forever in the cartridge, even after development. So when getting reprints done, the labs expect to receive the film in the cartridge not a film strip. So if you process these yourself will you be able to return the film to the cartridge afterwards? If not then it looks as if you might have to do your own printing as well as developing. So where would you find a negative carrier than could handle APS? I admire your bravery! I like the APS format and still use it sometimes but I'll stick to my local Asda (Wall-mart) for processing & reprints!

Minilabs have a deattacher reattacher for APS, not very diffcult, takes practice but doable, with all the Minilabs going out of business I think you could find one. I have one somewhere as I did some printing of my wifes APS negatives before she turned to the dark side.

 

[Brac]

I can see it makes some sense as you have high quality scanning equipment etc. But myself I'd still leave the processing to a lab and then do the scanning. Although I've developed colour film in the past (not APS!) the hassle wasn't worth it nor did it save any money over having it done commercially (unfortunately).